With These Hands
by Grasshopper-chan
Summary: Tsuna can't seem to wrap his mind around Reborn's fate. RebornTsuna. Oneshot.


Title: With These Hands

Pairing: R27 (Reborn x Tsuna)

Rating: PG

Warnings: spoilers if you haven't started the Future Arc, shounen-ai/BL/slash, OOC

Summary: Tsuna can't seem to wrap his mind around Reborn's fate. R27

Disclaimer: I do not own Kateikyoushi Hitman REBORN! This is a work of fanfiction, and I am not making any financial profit from it.

…

_Reborn's dead…Reborn's dead…in ten years…Reborn is dead. I'm dead too. Reborn is dead. But how could Reborn…? He's too strong to…How could he have been…? Reborn…dead…he can't be dead!_

Tsuna's head had been swarming with such incoherent thoughts since he arrived in the future and Lal Milch had told him briefly of the current state of things. Waking up in a coffin to find an older Gokudera mourning his passing was a major shock to his system, but learning only a short while later that Reborn was gone as well…it had caused something within Tsuna's mind to snap.

Even seeing the Reborn from his time alive and well hadn't relieved the tight pain in his chest. Even if he was alive now, in ten years, in ten short years, he would…Maybe it was better that Tsuna had died as well; he couldn't imagine having to go to Reborn's wake.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had missed the arrogant Arcobaleno. Bianchi had been clingier than ever, seldom letting him out of her sight since their reunion. Everyone from the future seemed ecstatic to see the tiny hitman.

Unable to sleep, Tsuna rolled out of his bunk with a groan and decided to take a walk down the hall. The base's corridors were illuminated by dim fluorescent lights on the ceiling, and the unnatural, space-age-like structure gave it a cold, impersonal feel that Tsuna really didn't like. It made him feel more lost than he already was in the strange, futuristic world.

As he walked aimlessly, lost in thought, the only sounds his ears picked up were the soft patter of his indoor slippers against the tile and the low hum of the electric lighting overhead. Perhaps it was _because_ he was lost in thought that he didn't notice small figure approaching him from behind, or perhaps it was because said person was so adept at the art of stealth that even if Tsuna had been on full alert he wouldn't have noticed him.

Regardless, Tsuna didn't realize he was being followed until he received a sharp kick to the head. "Oi, Dame Tsuna, why aren't you in bed?"

Tsuna whined and cradled his head and turned with tear-filled eyes to pout at his instructor. "Reborn, that hurt!" he complained with a small frown on his pale-than-usual face.

"That's your own fault for not noticing me sooner," Reborn scolded, "Dame Tsuna." The insult was spoken as something of an afterthought, quite similar to Colonello's "kora!" Reborn crossed his arms across his chest. "Now answer my question or I'll kick you in the teeth. Why aren't you sleeping, Baka Tsuna?"

Tsuna gulped and stammered a hasty reply, not wanting to face Reborn's wrath, "I-I couldn't sleep. I kept worrying about…about a lot of things…and I wanted to clear my head a little."

Tsuna cringed, expecting another blow from Reborn (to help 'clear his head'), but instead he heard a tired sigh. "Go to bed, Tsuna." The young Vongola blinked down at Reborn in confusion. Reborn sounded…strange. What was wrong?

"Reborn…" Tsuna hesitantly took a step towards the hitman, his brows knit together in concern. "What's—"

Reborn leapt up and kicked him again. "I thought I told you to go to bed, Dame Tsuna," Reborn reprimanded him. Tsuna cradled his head and whimpered pathetically. "Your Family needs you to be strong for them. They need the reassurance and security that only their leader can provide. Rest up so that you have the strength to protect the people who are important to you."

Tsuna stared at Reborn, a sudden sense of understanding filling him at the hitman's words. "To protect the people important to me…" Images of Kyoko, Haru, I-Pin and Lambo, and also of his Guardians flashed through his mind. And then, Tsuna fixed his eyes on the Arcobaleno standing confidently before him. "Reborn…"

Reborn was always cool and calm and collected. Even when he wanted to show his weakness or anger, as it was when they discovered the Ninth in that monstrous machine, he restrained himself out of necessity. Or perhaps it was simply his hitman training. Either way, Tsuna was certain that Reborn would have killed Xanxus on the spot had it not been Tsuna's battle to win. Perhaps even now, Reborn was hiding his emotions…

As Tsuna's gaze fell on the yellow pacifier, encompassed in a protective bubble designed to ward of the Negative Seven Rays, the glimmer of understanding he'd experienced earlier exploded into a new awareness. "Is it very painful, Reborn?"

Reborn's trademark smirk slipped slightly, and Tsuna once again braced himself. "Go to bed, Tsuna," the Arcobaleno repeated in a small voice. He didn't seem quite so haughty and superior now. In fact, for once, his ego matched his stature. And it tore Tsuna to pieces to see it. He wanted to tell Reborn it was okay, that he didn't have to be strong or pretend or put on a brave face for them, but he knew that he needed Reborn's strength and confidence in order to even consider persevering through this nightmarish situation. All that came out of his mouth was a strangled whimper. "It's okay, Tsuna. Just go to bed. Everything will be fine." Tsuna couldn't recall Reborn's voice ever sounding so meek.

Without thinking about it, Tsuna dropped to his knees and flung himself at the tiny hitman, shaking uncontrollably. "Reborn!" he sobbed loudly. He didn't care if Reborn pushed him off and beat him into oblivion for the move; he couldn't help himself. Surprisingly, Reborn didn't do anything—just stood there with an unreadable expression while Tsuna hugged him with trembling arms. "Reborn, I don't want you to die!" the young Vongola cried.

"Everyone dies eventually, Baka Tsuna," Reborn replied coolly. Even as he uttered the insult, he reached around to rub Tsuna's back soothingly. Tsuna sniffled, his sobs almost instantly decreasing at the unexpected gesture of comfort. "I'm a hitman. I'm not afraid of death."

"Th-that's a l-lie," Tsuna whimpered. He wasn't sure if it was his Vongola instincts kicking in as they had with Lanchia and the many cases after that or if it was because he and Reborn had gone through so much together, but he knew that Reborn was lying. "It's b-because you're a h-hitman that you're afraid to d-die. You've l-looked death in the f-face so many times…" Reborn said nothing, so Tsuna continued. "I w-won't let you d-d-die!" he declared tearfully. Reborn wordlessly tightened his hold on the weeping boy. "R-Reborn, I'll…w-with t-these hands, I'll p-protect y-you!"

"Then don't cry," Reborn snapped. Tsuna drew back in confusion, a little hurt by Reborn's irritated tone. Reborn simply sighed again. "Dame Tsuna," he mumbled, looking to the side in a way that seemed almost…uncomfortable. "If you say you're going to protect someone, then don't cry about it like you've already failed!" Tsuna absently noted that Reborn didn't criticize him by reminding him that Reborn was always the one protecting him, not the other way around. It was almost like Reborn was giving his permission, like he was saying, "Okay, I'll let you protect me this time."

Tsuna's frown melted into a weak but warm smile, and before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips to Reborn's chubby baby cheek in a wet, teary kiss. Then another, still tentative. Then another, a little more confident…or perhaps desperate. Then another, this time on the corner of Reborn's mouth. Then another, a little more firmly, in the same spot. Then another, on the lips.

The contact sent a jolt through Tsuna's entire body, snapping him out of whatever trance he had fallen into. Realizing exactly what he'd just done, Tsuna backpedaled quickly, leaping away from the Arcobaleno with wide, horrified eyes and an undignified, "Hiiiiiiiee—"

Reborn's head was bowed slightly so that his hat shadowed his eyes. His mouth was set in a thin line that gave away not the slightest hint of what he was thinking. Tsuna gulped and waited for the inevitable thrashing.

"Go to sleep, Tsuna. It's past your bedtime."

"Only if you stay with me," Tsuna replied impulsively. Licking his lips, which now held the faint trace of a flavor that was foreign to his tongue but pleasing to his palette, he added in a soft, broken voice, "Please…Reborn…"

This request drew yet another heavy sigh from the Arcobaleno. "You ask an awful lot, _Dame Tsuna_." Tsuna tried not to let his hopes rise too high at the affectionate insult attached to the end of the statement or at the familiar smirk that always seemed to appear when Reborn was having fun tormenting him. "I guess my no-good student can't even sleep properly on his own. And he'll be even more useless if he doesn't get enough rest…_yare yare_, what a troublesome charge." Tsuna bit his lip to keep from breaking out into a wide grin at the hitman's grumbled words.

It was the first time that Reborn had ever allowed Tsuna to share a bed with him. Usually, he just took over and left Tsuna a spot on the floor—if Tsuna was lucky. It was the first time that Tsuna could remember falling asleep before Reborn, whose sleeping schedule was remarkably similar to that of a baby. It was also the first time that Tsuna had ever woken up in the middle of the night only to find Reborn sleeping with his eyes closed; he didn't know Reborn knew _how_ to sleep with his eyes closed! It was the first time, he realized, that Reborn had ever yielded control of the reigns to Tsuna, the first time he had ever surrendered himself to the protection of another since Tsuna had met him…perhaps it was the first time in his whole life. It was also the first time that Tsuna felt truly proud to be Vongola X.

Tsuna slept the rest of the night with his eyes open and his arms securely draped around Reborn's middle.

When Reborn woke up the next morning, he didn't say a single word about Tsuna's breakdown in the hallway. Tsuna returned the favor by not mentioning the fact that the hitman had slept with his eyes closed. Bianchi clutched Reborn to her bosom the moment they entered the kitchen and fussed over him all through breakfast. Tsuna pretended it didn't bother him when Reborn let her hog his attention and instead focused on helping poor Gokudera, who had collapsed on the floor in a fit of pain due to the trauma of seeing his sister's face.

Once they were able to convince Bianchi to put on some sunglasses and Gokudera was able to sit at the table without feeling too sick, Tsuna turned to his plate, eager to dig in to the food Kyoko and Haru had made for them. The only problem was…his plate was empty. Eyebrow twitching in annoyance at the ridiculously routine occurrence, he glared at the smug-looking baby seated in Bianchi's lap being spoon-fed by the over-affectionate woman.

"Reborn," he growled out. His stomach groaned in agreement with his anger.

Not taking his eyes off the bite being offered to him by a cooing Bianchi, Reborn simply said, "You snooze, you lose, Dame Tsuna."

Despite his growling stomach, Tsuna couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at the familiar context. Reborn was still there, still alive and well enough to pick on him, and still attentive enough to notice Tsuna's discomfort.

Tsuna smiled to himself. The future was not yet determined. It could be changed. Somehow, Tsuna would change it. So that Reborn could steal many more breakfasts from him, if nothing else.


End file.
